Ambitious young guns give ailing F3 a boost

Mark Webber's success has inspired some good local drivers to try Formula Three rather than look for cars with roofs on them.

Ambitious young guns give ailing F3 a boost

03 November 2003Peter McKay

Mark Webber's success has inspired some good local drivers to try Formula Three rather than look for cars with roofs on them.

Consequently, Australian F3 racing -- the next step up from Formula Ford -- is emerging as a genuine and relevant showcase of local open-wheeler talent on the rough track to formula one. Local open-wheel racing has struggled a little of late, with Formula Ford failing to attract regular television coverage and Formula 4000 (formerly Formula Brabham and Formula Holden) fading to irrelevance.

But with wings, slicks and modern cars, F3 is attracting some of the brighter younger guns keen to follow the likes of Webber, Ryan Briscoe and James Courtney to Europe.

Three drivers, two races, 50 points up for grabs - -that's the tantalising scenario heading into next weekend's final round of the F3 championship at Wakefield Park, near Goulburn. Barton Mawer, Michael Caruso (tied in the championship lead) and in-form New Zealander James Cressey (trailing by just 10 points) head into the decider knowing the winner takes all. The regulars will be joined by teenage Formula Ford sensation Ian Dyk, who gets a chance to shine in an F3 car for the first time after an impressive sub-record test session at Mallala. Schoolboy Dyk, 18, will go up against rivals who have done a full season in the ultra-quick and tricky machines, so his weekend will be no picnic.

Looking ahead to 2004, Caruso and Christian Jones recently tested for British F3 team Carlin, while Mawer impressed in a trial with Fortec. All three are fighting hard to get onto the British F3 grid next season. Funding will determine whether Dyk tackles F3 full-time or stays put for another season in Formula Ford.

Frentzen prefers F1

It was only a couple of weeks ago that Heinz-Harald Frentzen said he was happy to consider moving to other forms of racing, even the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the new challenge of oval tracks. A sponsor link between Sauber, his team this season, and Eddie Cheever's IRL team could have paved the way to the German having a future constantly turning left. But Frentzen has now decided that IRL is not for him. He's one of several unemployed drivers (Nick Heidfeld and Justin Wilson being others) hoping to stay in F1. Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi are the only options left.

Pontiac to quit NASCAR

Pontiac, traditionally promoted as General Motors' performance brand, is withdrawing from NASCAR stock-car racing after a 50-year association. The pull-out is linked to Pontiac's renewed efforts to shore up an excitement image with new products such as the Australian-made GTO (nee Monaro) coupe.

Pontiac will be looking at motorsports categories more consistent with the new products; despite its popularity, NASCAR, which still uses old carburettor engine designs, is considered low-tech. As well, Pontiac hasn't been doing much winning this season, and NASCAR tends to promote the drivers and teams, rather than the car makes.

Pontiac's departure could open up opportunities for foreign brands to get into NASCAR. Toyota is likely to be the first non-American make to get on the grid. Just where it will find a push-rod V8 engine outside of its museum is anyone's guess.

Surfers legal dispute

Local motorsport is agog over threatened legal action against the Indy race organiser, Gold Coast Motor Events Company (GCMEC), by Procar (which runs the Nations Cup, Brutes and GT-P categories) after races were dropped and shortened at the Surfers Indy 300 meeting.

Procar boss Ross Palmer is livid over what he calls shabby treatment meted out to Procar categories. He is unhappiest over the cancellation, due to a bomb scare, of the final race of the Nations Cup, which was to have included Peter Brock and other stars.

When the all-clear was given at 8.45am, the race, scheduled for 8.40am, was shelved although no other racing was programmed for another three hours.

Palmer says the organisers could have cut time allocated to stunt men, the V8 supercar warm-up and pace car laps to run the Nations Cup event.

Angry competitors and sponsors were also unimpressed. PHR Scuderia team manager Terry Little said his team and other competitors ended up travelling to Queensland at great expense for "five or six competitive laps". Little is now joining fellow Nations Cup competitors in lobbying for compensation for the losses their teams suffered.

Homecoming blitz

World supercross champion Chad Reed showed local riders -- and a record crowd at Gosford stadium - -why he rates so highly on the international stage when he cleaned up at the Supercross Masters Grand Final at the weekend. In a sequence of three shoot-outs against the best of Australia's professional factory outfits, Reed easily won three races from three starts.

In the 15-lap final moto, Reed lapped all his opposition save second-placed Jay Marmont, who evaded the inglorious fate by a mere 10 metres. Reed will defend his world crown starting in Holland in four weeks.